Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeLake depth chart
Today's read
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
29-acre lake in Eau Claire County, Wisconsin. The lake tops out around 8 ft. The contours come from a model of the real basin shape and its known max depth. Read them as probabilities, not soundings, and keep them out of navigation decisions. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
On the chart, Cooley Lake draws 29 acres inside 1.5 miles of shoreline. The shoreline is moderately structured (index 2) — enough points and pockets to pattern. All of it is shallow-zone water — under ~15 ft across the entire basin, so the food chain has the run of the place. Figure 0.6 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.2 mi at the beam. The water lies in Eau Claire County. For a second option, Halfmoon Lake lies 5 mi northeast.
Start shallow in spring: northern pike sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 2 to 8 ft covers summer, 2 to 8 ft covers winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Structure-wise the chart holds 5 features, led in depth by Main-lake point at roughly 8 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Wisconsin waters are set by the Wisconsin DNR — and special regulations can apply to Cooley Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Wisconsin fishing regulations →
Cooley Lake is about 8 ft (2 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target northern pike on Cooley Lake. These come from the Wisconsin DNR's per-lake fish listing; where the DNR lists a group (panfish, catfish, trout) the specific species are resolved from Wisconsin's fish distribution by the lake's location, depth and habitat.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
For northern pike, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Cooley Lake is regulated by the Wisconsin DNR. Check the official Wisconsin regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Halfmoon Lake 5 mi · Elk Creek Lake* 6 mi · Rock Falls Millpond 6 mi · Dells Pond 7 mi · Chippewa River 8 mi · Altoona Lake 9 mi · Lake Hallie, Lake Hallie 2 11 mi · Mirror Lake 13 mi · Eleva Pond 13 mi · Fall Creek Pond 15 mi · Strum Lake (Crystal) 17 mi · Glen Loch Flowage 17 mi
See how Cooley Lake stacks up: best northern pike lakes in Wisconsin
More water nearby: Eau Claire County fishing maps (8 charts). Browse all Wisconsin fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.